New Riverview Elections Office Aims to Ease Pressure On Bloomingdale

Trying to avoid a repeat of long lines at polling places, county elections officials plan to open two new satellite offices in Riverview and Northwest Hillsborough this fall.

“We want to take some of the pressure off early voting sites, like [the] Bloomingdale and Jimmy Keel” library branches, said Craig Latimer, chief of staff for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.

Latimer made the announcement Aug. 9 at a meeting of East Hillsborough Democrats.

The satellite offices will offer vote-by-mail ballots and act as drop-off points for those ballots. Residents will also be able to register to vote at the offices.

The satellite offices are slated to open in October or November, in the U.S. 301 and Big Bend Road area and in the vicinity of Gunn Highway and Anderson Road, Latimer said.

Latimer also urged voters to keep a close eye on upcoming congressional redistricting. Under federal law, state and congressional districts must be reexamined every 10 years, to take into account population shifts as noted in the latest U.S. Census reports.

County commission districts for Hillsborough County were recently redrawn, , as Latimer noted, with the Brandon area split into two districts along Brandon Boulevard.

The heated debate over county commission districts was seen by many as a warm-up for the battle to come over state and congressional districts.

“The redistricting issue will be one worth keeping an eye on,” said Latimer, who encouraged voters to visit the state’s redistricting website, where they can learn more about the issue and even draw their own redistricting maps and make suggestions.

A public hearing on the issue is scheduled for 4-8 p.m. Aug. 29 at Jefferson High School, 4401 Cypress St. Anyone who would like to attend is urged to fill out an online RSVP.

Latimer was hired as chief of staff in January 2009 by then-Supervisor of Elections Phyllis Busansky. Upon Busansky’s sudden death, former Gov. Charlie Crist appointed to the job Earl Lennard, who kept Latimer in his position.

Latimer has announced he will run to replace Lennard, who is not seeking reelection.

Prior to his service with the elections office, Latimer served 36 years in the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; he started as a crime-scene investigator in 1972 and retired as a major in 2008.

Formed in 2005, the East Hillsborough County Democratic Club draws members from Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Mango, Lithia and points in between.

For more information on the club, contact club president Angie Angel at 813-334-8376 or demsinbrandon@aol.com.